Wulven
Personality/Behavior Wulven are at their core fiercely loyal and honorable in their ways and yet driven by far more feral and wild impulses that all seek to overcome and control throughout their lifetimes. They hold great honor in king and country; fighting on behalf of their clan with a ferocity that eschews all sense of personal safety, willingly dying for the cause they believe in. On a more personal level, Wulven are very passionate and emotional creatures, always fully applying themselves to every cause whether it be defending their people, courting a lover, celebrating with their pack mates or showing tenderness while caring for their young. Each and every one must however strive to control their inner beast, a force of violence and predation that constantly seeks to overwhelm their judgement and reduce them to savage beasts, acting without forethought or restraint. Description/Biology In their "normal" shape, Wulven resemble well built elves with athletic physiques and a very feral appearance; sharply pointed ears that curve slightly, wolf like eyes, enlarged canines and an overall very shaggy and wild look to them. In their alternate forms, they take on the form of a powerfully built humanoid wolf, growing anywhere from 1'-2' in height and increasing in muscle mass. Fur colors and markings vary depending on family lineage. Climate/Terrain Temperate areas, forests and mountains Territories Wulven Clans can be found spread out over various areas of the Seelie Territory and Neutral Zone, each one acting as its own independent lordship of rule. Society Wulven are separated into distinct "clans" made up of inter-related family groups under the rule of a feudal lord, each with their own distinct methods of government, economy and social systems. Every Wulven is unfailingly loyal to the principles of their clan and will always defend the honor of their lord with every ounce of their being. Alliances between clans are fairly common and will offer each other aid in times of need but never at the cost of their own prosperity. However conflict between clans is known to happen as well and some have blood feuds centuries old with no hope of resolution in the future. As a rule they hold no allegiance to any court system, but most will regard the Seelie as allies, sharing the same ideals of justice and honor and will offer their assistance when needed to maintain the peace. Species Relations Bravery, honor, strength and determination are ideals upheld more than any other among the Wulven, so anyone who shares similar principles they will always have respect for even if they don't necessarily get along on a social level. They have a close kinship with the Minotaur, Centaur, Ogre and Satyr as being other passionate, wild spirits who uphold such ideals and have a deep respect for Dwarves regardless of the fact that most Dwarves see them more as wild animals victim to their own predatory urges. They also find the Darrig to be rough around the edges but unfaillingly reliable in the face of adversity and great drinking partners. They have a bitter hatred for most races associated with darker forces such as Goblins and Orcs and some may go as far as to attack one on sight without assessing the situation out of principle alone. Gender Relations/Roles Wulven traditionally live in a patriarchal society in which men assume most roles of responsibility and leadership while women are religated to more subservient roles as keepers of the home and raising/educating their children. However that is not to say women can't excel in society, they merely need to prove themselves far more beyond their own status to earn the respect they desire. Its not uncommon for women to serve in the military and while during said service they are rendered officially unavailable for courtship as it would detract from their duties. Love/Courtship Courtship rituals occur seasonally for the Wulven, meant to coincide with the period of heat females go through in which they are far more aggressive and sexually active than normal. This is the one aspect of their society in which the females take control, they alone are able to approve a suitable mate and accept their advances. When a male chooses a female, he will have to prove himself far beyond any other to convince the female that he's worthy of her favor; failing to do so will bring shame upon him and make him far less appealing to any other suitorette. On the flipside however, all women are expected to eventually settle down as is their "true role" in Wulven society regardless of any achievements they've reached in their lives up until that point. Sex Not surprisingly, Wulven intercourse is passionate, wild and at times violent with either mate wrestling, clawing and biting at each other on a level of sexual fury that would make a Satyr blush. In the bedroom of a bonded couple only the female may give her mate permission to take control, otherwise he has to follow her lead at all times, believing that being able to control their inner beast even in the bedroom will pass on a sense of self control to their young. Outside of their kind, their virility is legendary and many warriors out on the road will frequently take most any appealing partner to bed with them, not bound by the same social norms while with their own kind and can fully unleash their primal urges. While traditionally looked down upon, its also not uncommon for less reputable Wulven to take slaves of war for sexual purposes. Officially Wulven are against any form of slavery, but citing it as a form of establishing dominance over ones enemy is often used as an excuse. Birthright : Shifter: Wulven can shapeshift into a large humanoid wolf-like form at will, however they must still be careful to control their inner beast even while in this alternate form. Those who don't are victim to berzerker rages of fury and leave behind tell tale marks on the bodies of their "base" shape; more wolf like features such as a tail, patches of fur, more wolf like nose, claws that make manual dexterity more difficult, etc. (those who completely lose themselves to their inner beast remain in their shifted forms permanently and become nothing more than violent monsters who are usually hunted down by their former kinsman for the safety of the people.) Favored Class Most every male in a Wulven clan is a Warrior by default while those trained by the military are Soldiers. They don't make much use of Rogues but Rangers and Druids are fairly common as well. Combat You will rarely see as savage of a fighter on the battlfield as a fully enraged Wulven; utilizing sword and shield, barreling down at their enemy even if only by themselves. Only when absolutely necessary will they shift into their alternate form and utilize tooth and claw to rip their enemies asunder. Some actually run into battle without any armor (or even clothes at all), only covered in ceremonial markings via body paint, trusting in their own strength and the watchful eye of their gods to protect them. Development I like werewolves. However I always hated how they were traditionally seen as savage barbarians in most fantasy settings, so I decided to base them more off of the ancient Scots, particular inspired by the movie Braveheart and Disney's Brave.